Fokker Dreidecker DR1.

Dreidecker is the german word for triplane. This plane was extremely maneuverable and agile in the air. Richthofen called it 'machine gubs on wings'. A feared adversary in the 'air to air' combat
in the first World War.

It was introduced in July 1917 and in early 1918 it was already 'obsolete' compared to more powerfull and agile aircraft like the Fokker D VII.

Machine guns

The Dreidecker was eqipped with two Spandau 7.92 mm machine guns. Antony Fokker was the first ever person who succesfully designed a mechanism to allow machine guns to
fire in between the propeller blades without touching them. This allowed the pilot to aim straight at the enemy plane in front. That was so revolutionary, that suddenly a lot of planes were shot
down and more pilots killed. Allied pilots called themselfes 'Fokker-fodder'. The mechanism was copied by the Alies from a shot down triplane. From that moment, air to air combat was a lot
more effective in terms of shooting down other aircraft. At some point later in the 1st WW, the life expectancy of a pilot of two was a lot less than for a foot soldier in the trenches.